The present invention generally relates to methods and devices for emergency signaling devices, and in particular to an emergency signaling device using a remote, centrally located computer system.
There are numerous devices on sale in today's marketplace for emergency notification and signaling of medical alarms and security alarms. Typically, they consist of a telephone dialing device that is attached to a telephone instrument, which is actuated by a wireless pendant within the proximity of the dialing device. There may be one or more wireless pendants that actuate the telephone dialing device. When one of the users presses a button on the wireless pendant, the pendant sends a wireless signal to the telephone dialing device to dial a preset telephone number, typically an emergency number such as that of an ambulance service. Some of these devices also offer the ability to open an intercom talk path between the user and the person receiving the call. After receiving the alarm, the person receiving the call can then have a two-way conversation with persons at the location of the dialer. An advantage for the user is that no manual action is necessary to maintain the two-way conversation. This feature is provided by the telephone dialing device in case the user is incapacitated in some way and unable to pick up a phone set. This hands-free, two-way communication is accomplished by means of a speaker and microphone in the telephone dialing device, which then transfers incoming and outgoing audio over existing telephone lines. Other systems may alternatively use the speaker as the microphone also and control the direction of the audio with a voice actuated switch (VOX) circuit.
However, in practice, there may be a number of disadvantages associated with this arrangement. First, the wireless pendant has a limited range and must be within range of the telephone dialing device in order to send its signal. Typically the wireless pendant will not have enough range to work beyond the user's apartment. Second, the use of phone lines or, the use of an intermediate facility phone switch can compromise the reporting of the alarms if any of the intermediate telephonic signal transfer equipment or infrastructure should fail.
In order to reduce reliance on the telephone system and intermediate equipment, a better method for reporting alarms throughout the facility is to install a series of wireless repeaters or wireless receivers, which do not depend on a phone system. Since such a system would not depend upon a telephone system, then the resulting system would be more reliable. Furthermore, the wireless pendants would be able to operate throughout the facility as opposed to being limited to operating in close proximity to the telephone dialing device. However, this improvement in alarm signaling eliminates the ability of having the intercom path to the person initiating the alarm because there is no longer a phone line to provide the talk path.
As can be seen, there is a need for a wireless emergency system that has decreased reliance on the telephone system for notification of an alarm and that is capable of choosing a telephone dialing device in close proximity to the user, which is selected from one or more possible telephone dialing devices.